Hannah Uhrich, a senior in Family and Consumer Sciences at Iowa State, has been an undergraduate outreach facilitator for PIAL since July, 2021. She has been a part of ADMYRE’s development nearly since its inception. Hannah participated in the early phases of development for ADMYRE’s debrief, which helps students process the teen dating violence simulation and realize the steps they can take towards healthier, safer relationships.
Hannah said, “My response to the first interaction with ADMYRE was that it was definitely something different than anything I’d experienced. We never really had a whole lot of simulations in high school, so I had never seen content presented in that way. But I definitely thought it was cool that the students really got to deep dive into the stories and see the different characteristics and the effects of the unhealthy behaviors themselves.”
Hannah took an interpersonal communications class in high school in which guest speakers discussed teen dating violence, but she thinks ADMYRE goes a step further in driving the message home.
“I think a lot of people on the team agree that ADMYRE is kind of like something we wish we knew in high school. So being able to provide this information on healthy relationships as students are forming their relationships, going out into their lives, or their ability to build these healthy relationships, being able to provide that information is really rewarding,” Hannah said.
Rhonda Evans, Hannah’s supervisor, said, “Hannah's been an integral part of the success of the in-person and online ADMYRE programs. She is calm and has a great attitude in the midst of the pressure of changing deadlines and quick turnarounds. She learned new skills efficiently, purposefully incorporated feedback, and eagerly volunteered to work on every aspect of the ADMYRE program.”
“While she created wording for the youths who would go through the program, she asked herself what questions they would have. Then she took a deeper dive and added comprehensive explanations about what makes a relationship unhealthy and when to seek support. Because of the intense subject matter, she used wording that is sensitive, inclusive, and relevant.”
“As she has stepped into the role of co-facilitator less than a year ago, I have seen her grow with each presentation until she speaks with confidence and ownership of the material.”
While Hannah has been helping impact the lives of students with ADMYRE, ADMYRE has been impacting her life as well. On this note, she said, “ADMYRE has impacted my journey at Iowa State. I've been able to bring this healthy relationships information into other organizations that I'm involved in on campus. . .and take more classes surrounding family relationships and just relationships in general. So it's really helped me drive my passions in that way.”
Hear Hannah discuss her experience with ADMYRE further:
ADMYRE stands for Advocating for My Relationships. It is a teen dating violence awareness program offered by Parenting: It’s a Life (PIAL) and includes a simulation and debrief for high school and/or middle school students. The simulation can be presented in-person or delivered online. For more information, visit childwelfareproject.hs.iastate.edu/admyre.